Team assists members with individual weight-loss goals

Published: Sunday, September 15, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 1:51 p.m.

Local fitness enthusiast Lori Bolden has helped more than 200 people across the country meet their weight-loss goals — and she said she's not stopping any time soon.

Bolden, 51 of Houma, offers weight-loss advice and free exercise classes with her team “Stamp Out Obesity.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released the results of a 2012 survey that found that nearly 35 percent of adults in Louisiana are obese, making it the heaviest state in the country.

The team is part of Beachbody, an international company that offers fitness programs, health supplements and equipment.

Bolden said she heard about Beachbody in 2011 when a friend at work joined. She became a client in October 2011 and worked her way up to coaching in February 2012.

At her heaviest, she weighed 233 pounds.

“I was diagnosed as obese,” she said. “I knew I had to do something.”

Now weighing 160 pounds, she said she feels better than ever.

Bolden said she enjoys empowering people to work hard and lose weight and hasn't missed a day since she started.

“That's when you know you're meant to do something,” she said. “You get that fire.”

Beachbody programs include well-known fitness routines like P90X, Insanity, Rockin' Body, TurboFire and Hip Hop Abs, among others. Some programs last 90 days, some last 60 and others last around 40 days.

Bolden said she's completed six programs since she started working with Beachbody nearly two years ago.

Each program is designed to target a different area of the body or give the participant a new way to exercise.

“You don't get bored,” she said. “Each program produces different results and each one brings something different.”

Bolden said the programs also provide participants with short-term goals, so they're less likely to get frustrated during the process.

Bolden said all of her clients' weight-loss goals are unique — some are looking to drop a few pounds, some are hoping to lose a drastic amount of weight and others simply want to maintain their current size.

“I spent a lot of money on diet pills and gadgets,” Bolden said. “I was paying $200 a month going to clinics trying to lose that weight. Everyone wants a quick fix, but you have to work.”

Bolden said she recruited many of her friends and family to join her team, while other members were assigned to her by the company.

Clients can interact with each other online through Bolden's team website. Participants of each program can discuss their results and give one another advice.

“It just helps us get through it,” Bolden said.

Ornelia Hendon of Houma said she's made friends on the team's site who encourage her to keep working hard.

So far, Hendon has lost 50 pounds using programs like Rockin' Body and TurboFire. She started out at 230 pounds and is now down to 180.

Hendon, 50, said she's gone through several cycles of losing and gaining weight over the years, but she's confident she can maintain momentum this time.

“This is it,” she said. “There's no going back for me.”

Hendon said she hopes Bolden's coaching will keep her on track.

“She stays on you,” she said. “Even when I don't see her, she's on my Facebook all the time. She stays in contact to keep you on track.”

Hendon said her family has a history of blood pressure issues, which made her want to change her lifestyle and get healthy.

“I'm trying to not be another number,” she said. “I won't do it.”

Hendon said she can sum up her advice for people trying to lose weight in one word: dedication.

“You have to put in your mind that this is what you're going to do,” she said. “You can't go a week or two and then stop. You have to stay on it.”

While many of Bolden's clients use Beachbody programs, others create their own plan and get regular encouragement from their coach to stick to it.

Team member Cherie Guidry said she prefers to exercise daily at her usual gym, but she meets up with the group every Saturday to keep her weight loss on track.

When she started, the Houma resident weighed 279 pounds, and she's worked her way down to 256 pounds over the past few months.

While she calls herself a “work in progress,” Guidry, 29, said she's more excited about losing inches and body fat than pounds.

“My body fat percentage went down,” she said. “I wasn't too concerned with the number on the scale.”

Guidry attributes her weight loss to a lot of hard work.

“You have to keep pushing every day, but you have to make sure you have proper nutrition,” she said. “Even if you work out every day, if you're not eating right, nothing's going to happen for you.”

For Bolden, the goal is simply to stay fit and help others along the way.

She said she's enjoying her life much more now that she's learned to maintain her health.

<p>Local fitness enthusiast Lori Bolden has helped more than 200 people across the country meet their weight-loss goals — and she said she's not stopping any time soon.</p><p>Bolden, 51 of Houma, offers weight-loss advice and free exercise classes with her team “Stamp Out Obesity.” </p><p>The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released the results of a 2012 survey that found that nearly 35 percent of adults in Louisiana are obese, making it the heaviest state in the country.</p><p>Bolden's classes are at 10 a.m. Saturdays at Body Elite, 1953 Prospect Blvd., Houma.</p><p>The team is part of Beachbody, an international company that offers fitness programs, health supplements and equipment. </p><p>Bolden said she heard about Beachbody in 2011 when a friend at work joined. She became a client in October 2011 and worked her way up to coaching in February 2012.</p><p>At her heaviest, she weighed 233 pounds.</p><p>“I was diagnosed as obese,” she said. “I knew I had to do something.”</p><p>Now weighing 160 pounds, she said she feels better than ever.</p><p>Bolden said she enjoys empowering people to work hard and lose weight and hasn't missed a day since she started.</p><p>“That's when you know you're meant to do something,” she said. “You get that fire.”</p><p>Beachbody programs include well-known fitness routines like P90X, Insanity, Rockin' Body, TurboFire and Hip Hop Abs, among others. Some programs last 90 days, some last 60 and others last around 40 days.</p><p>Bolden said she's completed six programs since she started working with Beachbody nearly two years ago. </p><p>Each program is designed to target a different area of the body or give the participant a new way to exercise.</p><p>“You don't get bored,” she said. “Each program produces different results and each one brings something different.”</p><p>Bolden said the programs also provide participants with short-term goals, so they're less likely to get frustrated during the process.</p><p>Bolden said all of her clients' weight-loss goals are unique — some are looking to drop a few pounds, some are hoping to lose a drastic amount of weight and others simply want to maintain their current size.</p><p>“I spent a lot of money on diet pills and gadgets,” Bolden said. “I was paying $200 a month going to clinics trying to lose that weight. Everyone wants a quick fix, but you have to work.”</p><p>Bolden said she recruited many of her friends and family to join her team, while other members were assigned to her by the company. </p><p>Clients can interact with each other online through Bolden's team website. Participants of each program can discuss their results and give one another advice.</p><p>“It just helps us get through it,” Bolden said.</p><p>Ornelia Hendon of Houma said she's made friends on the team's site who encourage her to keep working hard.</p><p>So far, Hendon has lost 50 pounds using programs like Rockin' Body and TurboFire. She started out at 230 pounds and is now down to 180.</p><p>Hendon, 50, said she's gone through several cycles of losing and gaining weight over the years, but she's confident she can maintain momentum this time.</p><p>“This is it,” she said. “There's no going back for me.”</p><p>Hendon said she hopes Bolden's coaching will keep her on track.</p><p>“She stays on you,” she said. “Even when I don't see her, she's on my Facebook all the time. She stays in contact to keep you on track.”</p><p>Hendon said her family has a history of blood pressure issues, which made her want to change her lifestyle and get healthy.</p><p>“I'm trying to not be another number,” she said. “I won't do it.”</p><p>Hendon said she can sum up her advice for people trying to lose weight in one word: dedication.</p><p>“You have to put in your mind that this is what you're going to do,” she said. “You can't go a week or two and then stop. You have to stay on it.”</p><p>While many of Bolden's clients use Beachbody programs, others create their own plan and get regular encouragement from their coach to stick to it.</p><p>Team member Cherie Guidry said she prefers to exercise daily at her usual gym, but she meets up with the group every Saturday to keep her weight loss on track.</p><p>When she started, the Houma resident weighed 279 pounds, and she's worked her way down to 256 pounds over the past few months.</p><p>While she calls herself a “work in progress,” Guidry, 29, said she's more excited about losing inches and body fat than pounds.</p><p>“My body fat percentage went down,” she said. “I wasn't too concerned with the number on the scale.”</p><p>Guidry attributes her weight loss to a lot of hard work.</p><p>“You have to keep pushing every day, but you have to make sure you have proper nutrition,” she said. “Even if you work out every day, if you're not eating right, nothing's going to happen for you.”</p><p>For Bolden, the goal is simply to stay fit and help others along the way. </p><p>She said she's enjoying her life much more now that she's learned to maintain her health.</p><p>“I just don't want to be that fat girl again,” she said.</p>